Head of Function for Infrastructure

Office for National Statistics; Fareham; Hybrid; GBP 72,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

A governmental statistical agency in the UK is seeking a Head of Function for Infrastructure. This role involves providing strategic and community leadership across digital services' infrastructure, including security and compliance. The ideal candidate will be an experienced leader capable of inspiring teams and driving modern engineering practices while ensuring core technology platforms are secure and resilient. The position offers a hybrid working model with a competitive salary up to £75,364 plus benefits.

Benefits

Market leading pension scheme

Generous holiday allowance

Employee Assistance Programmes

Opportunities for continuous learning

Qualifications

• Experience in leading and managing infrastructure and IT services.
• Proven ability to drive capability uplift across teams.
• Strong knowledge of security, resilience, and compliance standards.

Responsibilities

• Own the professional community for Infrastructure.
• Contribute to the delivery and maintenance of core infrastructure.
• Ensure security, resilience and compliance in design and operations.
• Work with leadership to embed modern engineering practices.
• Inspire collaboration and continuous improvement.

Job description

Location & Working Patterns

Location: The locations for this role are Newport and Titchfield (Fareham). We operate a flexible hybrid working model across the UK, with colleagues linked to one of our contractual locations and working between office and remote throughout the week. As part of the hybrid working arrangement there is a 40% minimum office attendance requirement. Salary: £72,030 - £75,364 plus a skills allowance of up to £10,000. Working patterns: Full time, part time, flexible working, job share. Closing date: Apply before 11:55pm on Thursday 22nd January 2026.

Overview

The Head of Function for Infrastructure provides strategic and community leadership across Digital Services’ Infrastructure profession — spanning Infrastructure Engineering, IT Service Management, and DevSecOps. You will set direction, standards and learning pathways; build a high‑performing, collaborative community; and ensure ONS’s core technology platforms (networks, cloud, identity & access, and enterprise services) are secure, resilient and aligned to ONS’s strategic plans.

Responsibilities

• Own the professional community for Infrastructure: set the standards, define the learning pathways, and drive capability uplift across the profession.
• Contribute to the delivery and maintenance of core infrastructure — networks, cloud platforms, identity & access, and enterprise services — enabling ONS >6,000 staff and supporting critical statistical outputs.
• Ensure security, resilience and compliance are embedded in design, change and operations, strengthening governance across Digital Services.
• Work across ONS leadership and with other Heads of Function to embed modern engineering practices, improve service reliability, and coordinate cross‑cutting transformation.
• Inspire others and champion community collaboration, fostering a culture of agility, continuous improvement and knowledge sharing.
• Minimum 30 hours a week.

Benefits

• Hybrid working and flexi-time so you can work around your life.
• A market leading pension scheme – our employer contribution rate is around 29%.
• A choice of working patterns *for every role* full‑time, part‑time, job‑share.
• Maternity, adoption or shared parental leave of 26 weeks full pay (subject to qualifying criteria).
• Opportunities to learn new technology & skills on the job, utilising blocked out Protected Learning Time in your weekly schedule and taking advantage of the support of our Communities of Practice.
• Employee Assistance Programmes.
• Diversity Network Groups.
• Mental Health Allies.
• Civil Service Sports and Social club.
• Generous holiday allowance – 25 days annual leave, rising to 30 days after 5 years service in addition to 9 public holidays.

Additional Information

We will be running a webinar on 8 January 2026 with an opportunity to meet other heads of functions, the hiring manager and our recruitment team. Please use the following link to sign up: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/0a17ae7c-83fd-4b56-bbfe-d43aac67beb7@078807bf-ce82-4688-bce0-0d811684dc46.

For a full job description and details of the skills & experience we are looking for, please click the APPLY button to see our full advert on Civil Service Jobs.